Door closer



Aug. 1, 1950 w. H. WEAVER DOOR CLOSER Filed May 8, 1946 I INVENTQR WzJZam/H Plaver BY I Z 5 'ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1950 noon oLosnn William H. Weaver, Glens- Fazfls, Y.,.assi'gno1' to DonalES-Asltley, Glens Falls,.N..Y.

' Mai al No. 668.23

This invention relates: to door closers, and more particularly to hinges, especiallydoor hinges. The term door is used herein in a broad: sense and is intended to include doors of all types, such as cabinet doors, icebox doors, the usual room. doors, gates; and other analogous stmctures;

Among; the objects of this invention is to provide a door closer which permits the door to be moved from closed position to any desired open position beyond a predetermined position. and remain in this desired: position. If the door is not moved beyondthe predetermined position, it is automatically" closed upon its release. Moreover, upon movement of the door. to close the door is autornatical'lyclosed once it reaches. this predetermined. position and is maintained in closed position. Hence, with this; invention it" is not necessary to use latches, hasps', or other anal?- ogous devices to maintain the doorin closed position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hinge which is relatively simple in design, inexpensive to construct; and. which, upon movement' of; one: leaf" relative to the other, effects automatic movement of, the moveable leaf, unless this leaf' is moved beyond" a predetermined position. Further, upon movement of' the leaf from a position beyond the predetermined position once the leaf reaches thepredeterminedposition; it" automatically restored to its original position.

Other objects and" advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated on the drawing; the invention is shown incorporated in a door closer hinge, and the present description will be confined to the present illustrated embodimentoftheinventicm It will be understood, however, that the novel features and improvements are susceptible to other applications, such, for exampl.e,. as; hinges generallyz. Hencethei scope. of this invention is not confined tm the. embodiment herein described.

Iutheaccompanying drawing:

, Fig I is a perspective view illustrating a. door closer embodying, this invention,, portions of the door and. door frame being fragmentarilp; shown;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken in a plane passing through line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig; 3. is a horizontal section taken in the: same plane as Fig-1 2 but-showingthed'oor in a predetermined open position relative to the door frame,

2 Glaims. (Cl. IS -50L such that when the force tending to move the 2: door to open position is released; the door isautomaticaily closed; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken in a. plane the same as that: of Fig. 2* and showing: the door in one of the many open positions to which. it may be moved and remain in open position.

Referring to the drawing, I10 indicates a por non of a door frame on which the door H is hingedlymounted by means" of one or more hinges embodying this invention, one of which is shown in perspective in Fig. l". The hinge comprises two leaves, 1'2, l3,,l"eaf l'libeing, iastenedito the door frame by screws 14', or other suitable means, and. leaf I3 being fastened to the door by screws [5 or in any other suitable manner.

Leaf t2comprises the body portion l6. through which the screws I41 pass. and two ears [1,, l8,;in which. a shaft. I9 is fixedly mounted. Secured to this-shaft. is. a, cam 20 preferably in the form of, a mutilated; gear. having, alternate teeth. 21] andrecesses. 22 in a minor pontionofthe. periphs cry thereof. and having the remaining portion of the. periphery 2.3 smooth. so. as to. providea. cam track. orv bearing, surface. for a. cooperating cam M hereinaiter more fully described.

Leaf. latcomprises, a. body, portion 25 through which the. screws I5" passto: secure this leaf. to the door and. top and .base plates 26,, 2]; respecetivelyhavingextensions or cars 2.8 pivotall y mounted-om sh-arti 19,. thereby providing for pivotal movement oi leaf l3. about the shaft.- l9.- carried by leaf. I2.. f w Mounted in-the-topr and base? plates 26, 2.1, is a shaft 30* on which cam .241, isirotatahly mounted In. the embodiment of. the. invention; shown; this shaft. is fixed in thertop and; bottom. plates so that it cannot: rotate; it. may be; rotatably mountedifrdesired. Sam 24, like cam 21]; is prefierablsr in the form of a1 mutilated: gear having, on a mirror portion of the periphery: thereof, teeth 34: alternating; with recesses- 32,, and having: a major portion of the periphery thereof; smooth, as; indicated: by, the reference: character. 33. A spring 34:. or other member adapted to be placed under; tensiom. has end: 35; fastened tocanm 24, one circles; shaft. 303E361 has the: othen end! securedrto top platens A-.collan36i issmounted: on shaft 3?] to maintain gear 2 h in; positions on this: shait so that the teeth. on. gears 24? mesh. with the; teeth on gear 2!] when: the door is closed? positiona It; wilt be noted? the portiom oi? the: mutilated gear 20 carrying: the 21 is of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of cam track 23, i. e. the projecting ends of the teeth 2| and 3 the periphery of portion 23 are defined by one and the same circle. In the case of the mutilated gear 24, on the other hand, portion 33, free of teeth, is of reduced diameter, as compared with the toothed portion of this gear, i. e. the gear is constituted of a cylindrical body portion from the periphery of a portion of which the teeth 3| project. Thus when the mutilated gear or cam 24 is moved to a point such that the teeth 3| are no longer in mesh with the teeth 2| on gear 20, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4, portion 33 of gear 24 rolls on portion 23 of gear 20 with-,

out effecting turning or rotary movement of gear 33 on its shaft 30, the terminal tooth 36 of the series of teeth 3| on gear 24 frictionally engaging surface 23 of gear 20, thereby preventing turning movement of gear 24 about shaft 30 in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 4, under the influence of spring 34. It will be further understood any desired number of teeth may be employed on the mutilated gears, the number used depending on the character of the spring or other tension member and the tension it is desired to impart thereto when the door is moved to a predetermined position shown in Fig. 3, and hereinafter more fully explained. If desired, a gear or cam having only one tooth or raised portion corresponding to tooth 36 may be mounted on shaft 30, and a gear or cam having a single recess into which the tooth enters mounted on shaft IS, the shape of the raised portion and cooperating recess being such as to impart the desired tension to spring 34 when the door is opened, and to permit the spring to return the door to closed position when the door is moved in a direction to close it.

In operation, with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, the door is in closed position, the back of the door engaging the door frame or a suitable stop, as is customary in door constructions. When it is desired to open the door, it is moved in the direction indicated in Fig. 3. Initial movement of the door due to theaction of teeth 2l on the teeth 3! on mutilated gear 24 causes this gear 24 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, imparting additional tension to spring 34, the spring, when the door is closed, being under sufficient tension to maintain the door in closed position. If at any time the force applied to the door to open it to the position shown in Fig. 3 is I,

released, the door'is automatically closed by the action of spring 34, which effects rotation of gear 24 and causes the door to swing to closed position, where it is maintained closed under the influence of spring 34. Once the door is moved past the predetermined position indicated in Fig. 3 and such that tooth 36 is in'contact with the cam track 23, this frictional contact between the cam track and tooth 36 prevents the spring 34 from effecting rotary movement of ear 24. the door remains in any open position to which it may be moved beyond the aforesaid predetermined position.

As the door is swung to open it, gear 20 initially effects rotary movement of gear 24 about'the shaft 30, while concurrently the leaf I3 is moved bodily about shaft l9 as an axis, so that shaft 30 and gear 24 carried thereby are swung together about shaft H! as an axis while gear 24 rotates about shaft 30. When the aforesaid predetermined position is passed, no further rotary movement is imparted to gear 24 about shaft 30 as an axis but in the continued swinging movement Hence,

of the door, gear 24 moves with the leaf l3 about shaft l9 as an axis, tooth 36 of gear 24 being maintained in frictional contact with cam track 23 by the spring 34, release of tension of the spring being prevented by this cam track 23. When the door is moved by a person in a direction to close it, it remains in any desired position to which it may be moved, until tooth 36 reaches the position shown in Fig. 3, i. e. so that it can enter a recess 22 in gear 20. At this point, spring 34 becomes operative to effect automatic closing of the door, as hereinabove described in connection with the opening of the door.

It will be noted from the above description that this invention provides a door closer which embodies the advantages of effecting positive closing of the door if the door is not moved beyond a predetermined position with the advantages of permitting the door to be retained in any desired open position beyond this predetermined position. Since the spring is operative to effect closing of-the door and to maintain it in closed position, with the door closer of this invention it is unnecessary to use latches, hasps' or other such mechanism for maintaining the door closed. It will be further noted the hinge of this invention is compact, simple in design, involves few parts, all of which are easily fabricated, and, therefore, is inexpensive to construct.

Since certain changes may be made in the embodiments of the invention hereinabove described without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge comprising in combination, a leaf having a shaft, a mutilated gear fixed to said shaft, a second leaf pivoted on said shaft, a second shaft mounted on said second leaf, a muti v lated gear mounted for rotation on said second shaft and having teeth on a portion of the periphery' thereof, meshing with teeth on a portion of the periphery of the first-mentioned mutilated gear, and a spring having one end fastened to said second-mentioned mutilated gear and the other end to the second leaf.

2. A hinge comprising, in combination, a leaf having a shaft, a cam on said shaft, a second leaf pivoted on said shaft, a cooperating cam mounted for'turning movement on said second leaf, one of said cams being provided with a projection and the other with a recess for receiving said projection and also with a smooth portion in contact with which saidprojection rides without effecting movement of said other cam, and a-spring having one end fastened to said cooperating cam and the other. end to saidsecond leaf.

Y -:WILLIAM H. WEAVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,507 France Feb. 22, 1904 

